asbaba’s yk ist may€¦ · 3. overcoming hidden hunger caused by micro nutrient deficiency...

IASbaba’s YK Gist May 2018

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Preface

This is our 38th edition of Yojana Gist and 29th edition of Kurukshetra Gist, released for the

month of May 2018. It is increasingly finding a place in the questions of both UPSC Prelims

and Mains and therefore, we’ve come up with this initiative to equip you with knowledge

that’ll help you in your preparation for the CSE.

Every issue deals with a single topic comprehensively sharing views from a wide spectrum

ranging from academicians to policy makers to scholars. The magazine is essential to build

an in-depth understanding of various socio-economic issues.

From the exam point of view, however, not all articles are important. Some go into scholarly

depths and others discuss agendas that are not relevant for your preparation. Added to this

is the difficulty of going through a large volume of information, facts and analysis to finally

extract their essence that may be useful for the exam.

We are not discouraging from reading the magazine itself. So, do not take this as a

document which you take read, remember and reproduce in the examination. Its only

purpose is to equip you with the right understanding. But, if you do not have enough time to

go through the magazines, you can rely on the content provided here for it sums up the

most essential points from all the articles.

You need not put hours and hours in reading and making its notes in pages. We believe, a

smart study, rather than hard study, can improve your preparation levels.

Think, learn, practice and keep improving! You know that’s your success mantra



Contents India & Nutrition ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Kuposhan mukt bharat (Malnutrition Free India) – WHY? ................................................................. 3

Causes of Malnutrition ........................................................................................................................ 4

Strategy for Malnutrition Free India ................................................................................................... 6

National Nutrition Mission ...................................................................................................................... 7

Poshan Abhiyaan: PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment ................................................ 9

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS MALNUTRITION ................................................................... 11

Engaging Private Sector to end Malnutrition........................................................................................ 15

Food Fortification .................................................................................................................................. 17

Connecting the Dots: ............................................................................................................................ 18

CONCEPTS ............................................................................................................................................. 19

HIDDEN HUNGER .............................................................................................................................. 19

STUNTING ......................................................................................................................................... 19

WASTING (MARASMUS) .................................................................................................................... 19

KWASHIORKOR (OEDEMA) ............................................................................................................... 19

UNDERWEIGHT ................................................................................................................................. 19

TECHNOLOGY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................... 20

Gobar Dhan Scheme - Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources-Dhan ................................................ 23



India & Nutrition

India’s ranking in the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI’s) 2017 Global

Hunger Index – India has slipped to 100 among 119 countries in the 2017 Global Hunger

Index, down from 97 among the 118 countries in 2016

An estimated 35.7% children are underweight and 38.4% are stunted in that age group. The

body mass index of 22.9% women aged 15-49 indicates chronic energy deficiency.

Kuposhan mukt bharat (Malnutrition Free India) – WHY?

Poor nutrition = Poor economics

There is an urgency to address underlying causes of malnutrition in India as

1. Economics is related to nutrition

World Bank: India loses 2-3 of its annual GDP due to lower productivity (malnutrition

being the underlying cause)

Some of the highest economic returns to public investment in human capital in India

lie in maternal and early-life health and nutrition interventions”

Copenhagen Consensus: Identified several nutrition interventions as some of the

most high-yielding of all possible development assessments

2. Dream of India as global player in manufacturing is dependent on nutrition

One out of every three children is born underweight

Low level of productivity due to inability to realise full potential for physical growth

and cognitive development

Thus, India’s population dividend is turning out to be liability.

3. Humanity is related to nutrition

Art 47 of Constitution of India



“Duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to

improve public health.

The state shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of

its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties.”

Causes of Malnutrition

Malnutrition in Uterus: Low status of women, low level of education, being underweight

during pregnancy and anaemia affects her reproductive health which can lead to higher

rates of morbidity, mortality or pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, birth defects

and haemorrhage of the new-born.

Micronutrient Deficiencies: Deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals—iron, vitamin A, zinc,

and iodine; are associated with disease prevalence and severity.

Breastfeeding Practices:

Raises the risk of decreased immune function + Increased morbidity + Mortality +

Blindness

WHO has identified ‘poor infant feeding’ as a risk factor for the survival of the child,

contributing to neonatal death. Experts are of the opinion that exclusive

breastfeeding for the first six months of life should be followed by continued

breastfeeding until two years of age

Lack of improvement in infant and young child feeding practice:

o Aggressive promotion of baby foods by companies

o Lack of support to women in the family and at work places,

o Inadequate healthcare support,

o Non-review of the maternity benefit laws,



o Neglecting infant feeding in its disaster management programmes

o Weak overall policy and programmes

Poor Sanitation:

About half of Indians defecate outside without using toilets and from here, children

pick up parasites and chronic infections that impair the ability of the intestines to

absorb nutrients

UNICEF reports death of almost 117,000 Indian children per year from Diarrhoea

Tribal Issues:

Report of deaths due to starvation, diseases like hypertension and diabetes rising

and incidences of Malaria, TB, Diarrhoea

Open defecation + Lack of clean drinking water + Illiteracy + Lack of Health

Education, Infrastructure and health professionals (naxal belt, if any or hilly terrain)



Strategy for Malnutrition Free India

Every third child of the country is undernourished which leads to several diseases, child

death and maternal mortality. Recognising that India pays an income penalty of 9-10% due

to a workforce stunted during childhood, the National Nutrition Strategy aims to bring

nutrition to the centre-stage and remove all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

4 Pillared-Strategies

1. Improving health services

2. Food

3. Drinking water and sanitation

4. Income and livelihood



National Nutrition Mission

In India, the nutrition problem is in the younger age group from 0-6 years’ group, adolescent

girls and lactating mothers. The aim is to try to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition

problem, anaemia problem and low birth weight problem in these groups (10 crore

beneficiaries). This has to be reduced by at least 2 - 3% per annum.

Regulation: Will have an apex body which will monitor, supervise and fix the target and

guide the nutrition related intervention across all the ministries

A change from the past

Mapping of various Schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition

Introducing a very robust convergence mechanism

ICT based Real Time Monitoring system – Main thrust is on use of ICT tools to

monitor the real time basis implementation of the programme. Now there will be

synergy of schemes, achievements of targets and real time monitoring by using the

IT tools.

Incentivizing States/UTs for meeting the targets- There will be competition between

different states to achieve the targets faster.

Incentivizing Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT based tools and also when

they fulfil the target

Eliminating registers used by AWWs - Till now it was operated through manual

registers with anganwadi workers. Now they will use smart phones, laptops and

computers to register the data. The idea is to coordinate and monitor the schemes

on IT basis and supervise in real time and compile reports. The move will be a

deviation from the old practice of maintaining registers and will also help to reduce

pilferage.

Introducing measurement of height of children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)

Social Audits - Except for MGNREGA, no other scheme has social audit. The

government has brought in transparency, accountability through social audit. When

there will be constant monitoring, there will be compliances to the standards as well

as work done.



Setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for

their participation on nutrition through various activities. Creating IEC materials like

posters, videos, doing street plays etc. will involve the public as well as create

environment for awareness.

India gets $200 million loan for nutrition mission: India and World Bank signs agreement

for a $200 million loan for implementing National Nutrition Mission.

To achieve the goals of the National Nutrition Mission, the following 5 areas need

concurrent attention –

1. Overcoming calorie deficiency through he effective use of the provisions of the

National Food Security Act 2013

2. Overcoming protein hunger through the increased production and consumption of

pulses and milk and poultry products

3. Overcoming hidden hunger caused by micro nutrient deficiency through the

establishment of genetic gardens of bio-fortified plants and promoting a Farming

System for Nutrition programme

4. Ensuring availability of clean drinking water, sanitation and primary healthcare

5. Developing a cadre of Community Hunger Fighters who are well versed with art and

science of malnutrition eradication



Poshan Abhiyaan: PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment

A flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD)

Focus of the Abhiyaan: On the first 1000 days of the child and preventive care for

adolescent girls, women and mothers

Jan Andolan: Incorporates inclusive participation of public representatives of local bodies,

government departments of the state, social organizations and public at large

Behaviour change communication is the key component of POSHAN Abhiyaan for

converting it into Jan Andolan.

Key agents of change: Mother-in-law and husband; Mission is designed to develop

orientation of these key members towards healthy mother and child through proper

nutrition.

Key Nutrition strategies and interventions are –

Supplementary nutrition

IYCF(Infant and Young Child Feeding)immunisation

Food fortification

Adolescent nutrition

Dietary diversification and maternal health & nutrition

Activities to be undertaken by States/UTs as part of POSHAN Abhiyaan:

Implementation of Convergence Action Plan at State/UT Level.

Procurement of Smartphones, Tablets and Growth Monitoring Devices by

States/UTs.

Roll-Out of ICDS-CAS (Common Application Software).

Implementation of ILA (Incremental Learning Approach) and CBE (Community based

events)



GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS MALNUTRITION

The Government has accorded high priority to the issue of undernutrition and is

implementing several programmes of different Ministries/Departments through State

Government/UT Administration, which have the potential to improve the current nutritional

situation in India.

Target

Group

Schemes Major Services from Schemes

Pregnant

and

Lactating

Mothers

Integrated Child Development

Scheme ICDS

ICDS: Supplementary nutrition,

counselling on diet, rest and

breastfeeding, health and nutrition

education.

Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog

Yojana IGMSY

Conditional Maternity Benefit

Reproductive Child Health RCH-II,

National Rural Health Mission

(NRHM),

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)

NRHM: Antenatal care, counselling,

iron supplementation, immunisation,

transportation for institutional

delivery, institutional delivery, cash

benefit, postnatal care, counselling

for breast feeding and spacing of

children etc.

Children (0-3

years)

ICDS ICDS: Supplementary nutrition,

growth monitoring, counselling

health education of mothers on child

care, promotion of infant and young

child feeding, home based

counselling for early childhood

stimulation, referral and follow up of



undernourished and sick children.

RCH-II, NRHM NRHM: Home-based new born care,

immunisation, micronutrient

supplementation, deworming, health

check-up, management of childhood

illness and severe under-nutrition,

referral and cashless treatment for

first month of life. Care of sick

newborns, facility-based

management of severe acute

malnutrition and follow up.

Rajiv Gandhi National Creche

Scheme

Rajlv Gandhi National Creche

Scheme: Support for the care of

children of working mothers.

Children (3-6

years)

ICDS ICDS: Non-formal preschool

education, growth monitoring,

supplementary nutrition, referral,

health education and counselling for

care givers.

RCH-II, NRHM NRHM: Immunisation micronutrient

supplementation, deworming, health

check-up, management of illnesses

and severe undernutrition

Rajiv Gandhi National Creche

Scheme

Rajiv Gandhi Creche Scheme:

support for care of children of

working mothers

Total Sanitation Campaign TSC/NBA: Household-level sanitation



(TSC)/Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) facilities

National Rural Drinking Water

Programme (NRDWP)

NRDWP: Availability of safe drinking

water

School going

children (6-

14 years)

Mid-Day Meals (MDM), Mid-day meal: Hot cooked meal to

children attending school.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) SSA: Support knowledge

dissemination on nutrition by

inclusion of Nutrition related topics

in syllabus and curriculums for

formal education, school health

check-up, mid-day meal.

Adolescent

Girls (11-18

years)

Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for the

Empowerment of Adolescent Girls

(RGSEAG), Kishori Shakti Yojana

RGSEAG: Supplementary Nutrition,

Iron Folic Acid supplementation,

vocational training of adolescent

girls.

NRHM NRHM: Weekly iron and folic acid

supplementation

Total Sanitation Campaign

(TSC)/Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan(NBA)

TSCINBA: Access to sanitation

facilities

National Rural Drinking Water

Programme (NRDWP)

NRDWP: Access to safe drinking

water

Adults and

Communities

MNREGS, Skill Development Mission,

Women Welfare and Support

Programme, Adult Literacy

Programme, TPDS, AAY, Old and

Infirm Persons Annapuma, National

MNREGS: Employment Guarantee

for 100 days per financial year for

adult member of rural household.

NRLM: Poverty alleviation in BPL

families through self-employment



Rural Drinking Water Programme

(NRDWP) and Total Sanitation

Campaign(TSC)/Nirmal Bharat

Abhiyan(NBA),

schemes/programmes in the

agriculture sector such as the

National Food Security Mission

(NFSM), National Horticulture

Mission(NHM), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas

Yojana (RKVP), Integrated Scheme of

Oilseeds, Pulses, Oilpalm, and maize

(ISOPOM), and efforts towards

augmenting Animal Husbandry,

Dairying and Fisheries.

TPDS: Food subsidy for rice, wheat

etc

NIDDCP: Promotion of use of iodized

salt

NFSM: Increased production of rice,

wheat and pulses

RKVP: Supports states for creation of

infrastructure, essential to catalyze

the existing production of food

grains.

Note: Updated list from government website. Please keep updating the various schemes.

3 parameters widely used for assessing nutritional status: 1. Height 2. Weight 3. BMI (Body Mass Index is the indicator of current energy adequacy)

Iodine Deficiency Disorder: Public health problem in India

Due to deficiency of iodine in water, soil and foodstuffs

National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP)



Engaging Private Sector to end Malnutrition

For more than 40 years, governments have intervened with food transfers in pre-school

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres. These infant food transfers were

mandated as legal rights first by the Supreme Court and then by the National Food Security

Act 2013. If we are to meet South Asia’s SDG target of ending malnutrition by 2030, we

must engage the private sector to accelerate progress.

Benefits of engaging the private sector:

Business/private sector can play on key strengths such as large-scale production

capacity, product and business model innovation, marketing expertise and extensive

distribution networks and supply chains, to complement government and social

sector efforts.

Comparative analysis of different countries highlighted that businesses can leverage

their product development expertise and production capacity to manufacture

supplements and fortified food products (zinc-fortified rice, vitamin A-fortified edible

oil, iodised salt).

They can partner with governments and CSOs for distribution through social

programmes.

In addition to supplements, there are five tangible opportunities to engage the private

sector in driving up nutrition outcomes in South Asia:

1. Nudging (to attract or influence) customers to purchase nutrition products:

Large and progressive retailers/retail chains can proactively carry nutritious

products, display them prominently, and educate consumers on their benefits.

They can be a key channel of influence as consumers often rely on retailers for

information and point-of-purchase decision-making.

2. Tech-enabled nutrition awareness and service delivery:



Technology and telecom businesses can build platforms to deliver nutrition-related

information, track diets and key nutrition indicators.

These will help in early identification of deficiencies, and connect consumers to

relevant health services.

3. Influencing cooking practices:

Media and food companies can help spread awareness on the nutritional value of

different foods and improve cooking practices, through interventions such as health

food TV shows.

Celebrity chefs can be key influencers.

4. Workplace nutrition programmes:

Companies can be effective channels for distributing nutritious food and building

awareness among employees and their communities.

5. CSR support for nutrition:

Businesses that are not directly related to nutrition can also become “nutrition

champions” by backing the cause as part of their social responsibility efforts.

It can be used to generate awareness and deliver nutritious food through their social

programmes.

Therefore, it is important to catalyze private sector engagement through ecosystem level

changes and enabling policy environment. This could include reduced import duties on

fortification machinery, tax holidays/incentives, introduction of “fat tax”, input subsidies,

among others.

Funding support in the form of grants and other sub-commercial debt options can also

crowd-in private sector investment in nutrition. For businesses lacking knowhow to produce

nutritious/fortified food items, CSOs could provide the necessary technical expertise.



Food Fortification

Fortification is adding vitamins and minerals to foods to prevent nutritional deficiencies. The

nutrients regularly used in grain fortification prevent diseases, strengthen immune systems,

and improve productivity and cognitive development. Wheat flour, maize flour, and rice are

primarily fortified to:

Prevent nutritional anaemia

Prevent neural tube birth defects

Increased productivity

Improve economic progress

Fortification is successful because it makes frequently eaten foods more nutritious

without relying on consumers to change their habits.

Vitamins and minerals often used in flour and rice fortification and their role in

health include:

Iron, riboflavin, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B12 help prevent nutritional anaemia

which improves productivity, maternal health, and cognitive development.

Folic acid (vitamin B9) reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects

Zinc helps children develop, strengthens immune systems, and lessens complications

from diarrhoea.

Niacin (vitamin B3) prevents the skin disease known as pellagra.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) helps with metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Thiamine (vitamin B1) prevents the nervous system disease called beriberi.

Vitamin B12 maintains functions of the brain and nervous system.

Vitamin D helps bodies absorb calcium which improves bone health.



Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of childhood blindness. It also diminishes an

individual’s ability to fight infections. Vitamin A can be added to wheat or maize

flour, but it is often added to rice, cooking oils, margarine, or sugar instead.

Nutrition is a challenge full of complexity. There is plenty of evidence globally and in India

suggesting that poor nutrition affects early childhood development, learning and earning

potential with life-cycle effects on national health and economic growth.

For an emerging country with one of the fastest economic growth rates, India needs to

implement its announced strategy with a focus on evidence, results and learning, not just

spin. That calls for a true commitment at the level of the states and communities with a

focus on improved outcomes for the poor and accountability for those in governance, and

the solutions need to go far beyond the expansion of sanitation, important as that is.

Connecting the Dots: 1. Is India an economic powerhouse or nutritional weakling? Examine.

2. India suffers from a “double burden “of pervasive under nutrition and deficiencies in

key vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) along with growing rates of obesity and

Non-Communicable Diseases. Discuss

3. Would India have not been considerably better-off in terms of health, nutrition and

welfare if instead of spending thousands of crores on food subsidies, India had spent

money on essential public goods like sanitation? Discuss.

4. What is food fortification and bio-fortification? Discuss how fortification can be a

major strategy of the government of India to reduce malnutrition in India.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS)

The survey provides state and national information for India on fertility, infant and child

mortality, the practice of family planning, maternal and child health, reproductive health,

nutrition, anaemia, utilization and quality of health and family planning services. Each

successive round of the NFHS has had two specific goals:



CONCEPTS

HIDDEN HUNGER

Food may contain enough calories but lacks crucial vitamins and minerals

Affects physical and mental development

Quality of food people eat does not meet their nutrient requirement

STUNTING Chronic malnutrition that starts before birth

Occurs over time; Child is shorter than his/her age

Reasons:

Poor maternal nutrition

Poor feeding practices

Poor food quality

Frequent infections

Worse in villages where a higher percentage defecate in the open

WASTING (MARASMUS)

Alterations in skin’s and bone’s appearance; like an old man’s face

Ribs and shoulder bones easily seen

Severe wasting of fat and muscle which the body breaks down to make energy

KWASHIORKOR (OEDEMA)

Excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues which results from severe nutritional

deficiencies

Lethargic with a large belly

Changes in hair colour and texture

UNDERWEIGHT

Bodyweight lesser than normal

Moderate: Below minus two standard deviations than the median weight for the age

Severe: Below minus three standard deviations than the median weight for the age



TECHNOLOGY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Mahatma Gandhi had said, “India lives in her villages”. Even today, after decades of rapid

urbanisation, around 70 per cent of Indians live in villages. Nearly 70 per cent of the

country’s population lives in rural areas. Thus, the development of rural India shall reflect

development of the whole country. For this to happen, an intensive focus on conservation

of natural resources and use of sustainable technologies will have to become a prerequisite.

Rural India faces a severe technology deficit. While there are other serious shortages power,

water, health facilities, roads, etc., these are known and recognised. However, the role of

technology in solving these and other problems is but barely acknowledged, and the actual

availability of technology in rural areas is, at best, marginal. The so-called digital divide is

widely spoken and written about; the technology divide is hardly mentioned. Yet, this

disparity is arguably more important, as it has far greater impact.

India’s endeavour to raise rural income will depend on how effectively measures can be put

in place to reduce the cost of cultivation. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set a target

to double farmers’ income by 2022. This target can be achieved by a wider technological

intervention to cut the input cost in the farm sector to ensure better returns to farmers for

their produce. Government has initiated a host of measure to empower rural population

through technology intervention.

Digital India’s strategic cornerstones, the Common Services Centres, are meant to provide

access points for delivery of various electronic services to villages, to promote digital and

financial inclusion, encourage rural entrepreneurship, and build rural capacities and

livelihoods, offering a bottom-up approach to social change, particularly among India’s rural

citizens. New technologies enable small farmers to shift from input-intensive to knowledge-

intensive agriculture.

Precision agriculture can improve the timeliness of planting, secure the best market prices

through market information and e-market reforms, provide fertiliser subsidies via direct

bank transfers that eliminate or reduce the cost of financial intermediaries, and improve

agricultural extension. Combined with improved seed supply and land and water

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management, which can in turn increase double and triple cropping, farmers’ income can

grow.

GoI launched eNAM (National Agriculture Market), an online platform for farmers that

integrates agricultural markets online, allowing farmers and traders alike to view all

Agriculture Produce Market Committee-related information and services, commodity

arrivals and prices, and buy and sell trade offers, thus helping farmers bid for the best prices

across markets. GOI also launched a crop insurance scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima

Yojana (PMFBY) in 2016, which now covers 37 million farmers.

Additionally, GOI is investing in mapping all of India's aquifers, and using technology to

manage water demand. Quantifying the relationship between rainfall and groundwater

levels under alternative modes of irrigation and farming should enable prioritisation of

prospective water and irrigation investments.

Digitised land registration, mobile phones and 'Uberised' tractor services all are contributing

to improved farm management. Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme

(DILRMP) is updating millions of land records, providing title guarantees and increased

security of land tenure to farmers while stimulating land rentals by nonviable smallholders

and land consolidation.

To facilitate communications, Digital India is implementing plans to connect 2.5 million

Gram Panchayats (local governments) with high-speed internet by 2018, with hundreds of

thousands already internet-enabled. GOI has also mandated that all mobiles phones must

support at least one of 22 Indian languages, other than English and Hindi, beginning July

2017. With only 27% of villages having banking services within 5 kilometres, the government

is licensing new banks and using mobile phone payment technology to an increasing extent.

Mobile coverage is high—over 1 billion of India’s population of 1.4 billion are connected.

Complementing efforts to increase agricultural productivity and employment is India’s triple

innovation system (JAM), consisting of Jan Dhan (the Prime Minister’s initiative to open

universal bank accounts, depositing Rs1000 [US$15.4] per household), Aadhaar (a unique

12-digit ID number for citizens) and mobile phones.

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There is now far less pilfering thanks to the digitisation of 230 million ration cards, 56% of

which are strengthened with a universal ID and Aadhaar. Several states have now installed

electronic point-of-sale devices at FPSs to track sales of food grains to cardholders on a real-

time basis. A much debated policy shift - in-kind cash transfers in place of food distribution -

is also being facilitated by digital technology.

Nearly 6.3 million new LPG connections have been provided to poor families in 2015–16,

with a target of providing 50 million LPG connections over three years. Further, the

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, (MGNREGS), the largest

in the world, guarantees up to 100 days of rural employment for those in need of

employment at Rs100 (US$1.5)/day. Using DBTs to pay beneficiaries has reduced transfer

costs, waste and corruption - and sidestepping any possible misallocation of funds

transferred from central to state to district to panchayats for distribution.

Geographical application of new technologies is still limited in rural areas; many farmers

remain unaware of these advances. Insufficient connectivity in rural areas along with a lack

of basic computer knowledge and literacy hinder development. Substantial investment is

needed in physical infrastructure, power, broadband, transportation and education,

particularly in rural regions and among the poorest populations in order to truly reap the

benefits of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The utility of S&T will be paramount in achieving aim of rural development as it is most

important and effective tool for ensuring poverty alleviation, food security, life skilling, and

educating masses. But only scientific and rational outlook can help us determine whether a

technology is in harmony with nature or not. Technologies should be used in a sustainable

manner and only to the extent they do not interfere with the nature and ecosystem. The

key to a developed and prosperous village lies in the sensible and rational usage of

technologies which are in harmony with nature.

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Gobar Dhan Scheme - Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources-Dhan

Objectives –

With the largest cattle population in the world, rural India has the potential to leverage

huge quantities of gobar into wealth and energy.

To make villages clean

Generate wealth and energy from cattle and other waste

Benefits:

New Biogas plants with new and better technology will come up to make the process

more efficient

Facilitate regular power supply to rural homes

Lead to cleaner villages

Generate an alternate source of income for the farmers

Creation of opportunities for income and employment generation for other groups

involved

Improve fertility of the soil and thereby enhance productivity of crops

Prevent diseases in the animals of the country

Mainstreaming women in development activities of the village – collecting and

packaging the ‘gobar dhan’ for transportation

Reduction of pressure induced by waste on the environment as the emission of

methane from the cow dung will be processed and will lead to a reduction in Carbon

Footprint

Challenges:

Aggregation of cattle waste and maintaining a regular supply to plant operators

becomes imperative.

The Biogas plants that were constructed was not able to keep up, both in terms of

production as well as speed, leading to inefficiencies and losses. The Biogas plants

that are being planned to be constructed should have better technology which



sustains, up scales and is widely accepted by farmers and women in rural areas.

Adequate training should be provided to the workers.

India is dealing with a deficient fodder for our cattle. Fodder production for the

cattle need to be enhanced

Farm Mechanization may pose challenges to the population of the cattle as the

machines will replace the cattle. This might lead to ignorance on the part of the

cattle’s master.

Way Forward:

Incentivize Behavioral Change: Cattles are considered important and the fact that the gobar

can be utilized and become a source of income needs to be engrained in the minds of the

farmers. This will not just generate additional income, but will reduce the pains of gobar

disposal, thereby leading to the communities becoming swacchh.

Generating wealth from waste in rural areas will require the involvement of all actors and

sectors.

Investments from the private sector and local entrepreneurs will be needed.

Panchayats and village communities will have to play key roles to leverage the

animal and organic waste that goes into water bodies, dumping sites and landfills.

Informal sanitation service providers can be integrated into the system by training

and licensing them.

Political will and strong public demand for cleaner, healthier living environments should

definitely drive the way ahead.



Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP): Aims to bring in ecological stability

thru conservative utilization of soil & water resources

Space Applications in Agriculture & Water Resources Sectors

Geo-Spatial Solutions have immense value for the sustainable development of Rural India-

Crop Insurance Decision Support System (CIDSS) – Web-enabled Integrated package

for implementing Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

Crop Intensification – Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India – Satellite-based

mapping of post kharif rice fallows (National Food Security Mission)

Mapping & Evaluation of High Value Crops

Agricultural Drought Vulnerability

Mapping Horticulture Crops

Fibre Crop Information System

Water Body Information System

Benefits of Geo-Spatial Solutions

Enhanced ease of governance

Transparent & efficient

Linking management information system to geo-spatial visualization

Comprehensive planning & development

It also aids in qualifying need for having asset at particular location



Table: Initiatives in the Irrigation Sector

ICTs for Rural Development For Management of Rural Development Programs

For e-Governance (including Services Delivery System)

For Agricultural Extension Services & Marketing

For Climate Change & Natural Resource Management

For Rural Health Care Services

For Disaster Management in Rural Areas

For Rural Connectivity For Education

For Social Justice & Empowerment

For Public Distribution System

For Rural Tourism



SECURE (Software for Estimate Calculation Using Rural rates for Employment): ICT based

solution for estimate preparation

Panchayat Enterprise Suite (PES) – E-Panchayat

To transform functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)

Plan Plus: Helps in preparation of participatory Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP)

Action Soft: Provides interface for Financial & Physical progress reporting of all works

carried out from approved plan

PRIA Soft: Basically accounting software to capture receipts/exp. details thru voucher

entries

National Panchayat Portal (NPP): Provides dynamic web site for each local body

Service Plus: Portal to provide electronic delivery of basic services to citizens

Challenges of ICTs in Rural Development

Continuous Supply of Electricity

Low level of Digital Literacy

Shortage of ICTs Personnel

Lack of Access of Telecommunications & Internet Services

Unavailability of Web Content in Local Language

Acceptance in Rural People Unethical Use of ICTs

Happy Learning

IASbaba

asbaba’s yk ist may€¦ · 3. overcoming hidden hunger caused by micro nutrient deficiency...

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